Not Your Secret
by Florentine Quill
Summary: Based off of Magical Mix by venusgal100. What will happen if Umbridge managed to get a hold of Naruto's file? Warning: HPNaruto Crossover! Read at own risk.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Normally I'm not a crossover fan but I still read them. While reading Magical Mix by ****venusgal100**** this scene popped into my head and it **_**won't leave me alone**_** so I'm basing it off of her fic. ****Chances are this'll be less than ten chapters, just to get it out of my head. **

"Speech"- Normal

_"Speech"- _Japanese

**Speech**- Naruto and Kyuubi talking to each other.

Naruto gulped nervously as he waited for his name to be called for the DADA practical examination. He thought he had done pretty well for the written part but he hadn't been able to nail down some of the spells…

"Eh, Uzumaki Naruto please." Naruto looked up to see a wizened old man holding a clipboard and peering around. He stood up, letting out a shaky breath before heading over to the wizard. The man beckoned him through the doors, leading him past other nervously testing teens to a secluded corner.

"Now, if you would kindly perform a Shield Charm for me?"

Naruto nodded and pulled out his wand, something seldom used outside of his classes. He preformed the first of a longish series of defensive spells, trying to remain calm while the examiner made notes on his spells. He was concentrating very hard on producing the last charm, a complicated counter jinx when he heard a "hem-hem" just as he was about to finish the spell, blowing his concentration and the spell to bits. Biting down on a viscous oath, he whipped around to spot Umbridge, smiling up at him.

"If I could have a minute Mr. Uzumaki?"

"I'm, in the middle of my OWLs if you hadn't noticed." He replied shortly, trying to resist the fox's mental suggestion to rend her into pieces.

"Actually, you're all finished Mr. Uzumaki. You'll receive your results sometime during the summer."

"Thanks."

Naruto was about to walk away when Umbridge shook her head, smiling widely. He let out a slight growl, before trudging after the short fat "Headmistress". They walked up to her office and entered, Naruto repressing the urge to shudder at the frills and kittens that surrounded him. Umbridge sat calmly at her desk, and motioned for him to sit. He did so, perching on the edge of the ruffled cushion. He watched through narrowed eyes as Umbridge rummaged about in her desk, humming and smiling a little too much for Naruto's liking…

"Ah, here it is…" Naruto froze as he watched Umbridge pull out a sickeningly familiar folder file. His eyes become slits as he saw her small smirk of satisfaction.

"I see you recognize this document."

"How the hell did you get that?"

"Language Mr. Uzumaki. And as for your second question…the Ministry is very powerful."

Naruto bristled, muscles tensing in preparation to leap at the person before him and seize his folder. But before he could even start the leap, Umbridge had idly flicked her wand and frozen him with a paralyzing spell. She smiled again before opening his folder, raising an eyebrow at its contents.

"It took me quite some time to find a translator, but I just got the translated version of your file back today…There are some rather interesting terms I don't quite understand, but I'm sure you're willing to help me out."

Naruto's stomach roiled as he thought about what "terms" she was probably going ask about. Even Kyuubi was quiet for once, no evil chuckling or snide comments. Naruto attempted so swallow the lump in his throat away but to no avail. He finally returned his attention to the manipulating...creature in front of him.

"What will you do if I refuse to help you?" He asked in a low voice, trying to find a way out of the situation. Umbridge smiled and replied in her sickly sweet voice.

"I'll just have to ask another of your comrades I suppose."

Naruto's head snapped, eyes widening up as a mixture of icy fear and red hot anger raced through his guts. "That's not your secret to tell!" He snarled, right hand automatically clutching at the seal on his stomach. Umbridge grinned wider.

"What secret? I simply asked you to help me understand a few Japanese terms."

"…"

"Let's get started shall we? Or do I have to call up one of your comrades, perhaps Mr. Uchiha?"

Naruto collapsed back in the chair he was on, eyes closing in defeat. He gave a nod before his eyes up, the brilliant blue dulled.

"What's the first one?"

"A rather simple one, Kyuubi no Yoko."

"Nine Tailed Fox Demon."

"Yes that's what the translation said, but it didn't mention any details. Tell me more Mr. Uzumaki."

"It was a giant demon fox that attacked our village fourteen years ago, on my bi- On October 10th."

"Ah…that's your birthday correct?"

"Correct."

Naruto tried to keep his answers as short as possible while trying to keep from upchucking his lunch and ignoring Kyuubi's mental commentary of how _he _would handle the situation. He finally shut the Kyuubi with a sharp reply: **Shut up you overgrown mass of fleas- As much as I'd love to kill her that would only make things worse. Now shut up unless you have something useful to say! **

The Kyuubi growled but kept himself silent. Umbridge listed off a few simpler terms for him to explain, such as Rasengan or Kage Bushin no Jutsu. Eventually she came to the term he'd been dreading.

"One last one, then you are free to go. Hmm, I can't quite sound it out. But it's translated as 'Power of a Human Sacrifice.'. Do you know it?"

"Jinchuuriki." He whispered, slumping in his chair. Umbridge nodded.

"Now, explain that term."

"A jinchuuriki is a person who is unlucky enough to have a demon sealed inside them."

"Such as the Kyuubi?"

"…Yes."

"Ah. So when your file states that _you,_ Naruto Uzumaki are the jinchuuriki of Kyuubi no Yoko, it means you contain the great beast? "

Naruto simply nodded weakly. Umbridge frowned, scribbling some note; she closed his file and returned it to her desk drawer. Naruto noted the drawer's location carefully before standing up and heading for the door. He left without a word, not seeing Umbridge's eyes harden and her lips form an evil smirk.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Later that night Naruto made his way to the dungeons and started banging on the hidden entrance to the Slytherin common room. Surprisingly the entrance swung open to reveal an irate looking Slytherin fourth year.

"Look if you forgot the pas-" Naruto shoved his way past the student and looked around, ignoring the scandalized and furious looks that were shot his way. He spotted a familiar head of white blond hair and made his way over to Draco Malfoy. Draco looked surprised and a little afraid but relaxed a little when all Naruto demanded to know where Sasuke was. Malfoy was about to answer when the blonde genin heard a familiar voice.

"I'm right here dobe, what do you want?" Sasuke stood at the top of the stairs, dressed in his normal clothing.

"_Umbridge has my file._"

Sasuke's eyes widened and he strode across the room to grab Naruto by the arm, dragging him across the common room to a corner.

"_What do you __**mean **__she has your file, that's supposed to be in Konoha!_"

"_The hell if I know! But she has it! I need your help to get it back."_

"_Where is it?"_

"_Her office, I was planning to get it tonight."_

Sasuke nodded and he and Naruto left for the boys' dormitories to plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto grumbled to himself as he walked along the castle ceilings towards Umbridge's office. A storm had descended unexpectedly during supper, while Naruto had been finalizing their plan. Sasuke had the job of keeping an eye for trouble while Naruto retrieved his file. Sasuke would meet him outside of Umbridge's office in a few minutes. Naruto rounded the corner and nearly ran into his teammate. Sasuke raised an eyebrow before releasing his chakra grip on the ceiling and landing neatly on his feet before Umbridge's office door. Naruto followed his example, albeit not as gracefully.

"Right. I'll get it and then I'll head out the window- you can close it behind me before leaving yourself." Naruto whispered to Sasuke, showing a rare example of his intelligence. Sasuke nodded and Naruto pulled out his barely-used lock picking tools and quickly picked the lock before opening the door cautiously and slipping inside.

The room was completely darkened, but Naruto made his way over to the desk, cautiously opening the drawer he thought contained his file. He breathed a sigh of relief a he spotted the familiar manila folder. He all but snatched the precious document.

Mission accomplished, he crept over to the window and was about to flip the catch when the light clicked on and Naruto whirled around, eyes widening as he caught sight of Sasuke being held at wand point. Umbridge smiled sweetly, a slightly demented gleam in her eye.

"Now now my little fox demon, don't do anything rash or your friend might get harmed."

"Get away from him." Naruto hissed, trying to ignore the familiar flash of pain he felt when Umbridge called him a demon. Umbridge merely dug her wand a little deeper into Sasuke's neck and shook her head.

"Put the file back on my desk or I'll have to tell your leader about a tragic accident that killed Mr. Uchiha. Or I could tell him that you're a jinchu-"

"_That's not your secret to tell!_"

Naruto dropped the file to the floor, pages scattering as he made a powerful leap to land before Umbridge, his lips drawn back over a snarl. She looked surprised but that didn't stop her from muttering a shocking hex, one that caused Sasuke's eyes to widen before he collapsed to the floor, twitching as an electric shock raced through his system.

Naruto growled in anger, this was the last straw. The woman before him had blackmailed his friends, twisting their words to force them to help her and essentially make them her goons. But this was going too far, daring to hurt one of _his _precious people. Umbridge whimpered in shock as she felt an evil presence surround her as she watched in horrified fascination as Naruto's hair lengthened and grew wilder, his canines elongated and neatly trimmed fingernails formed claws and the scars on his whiskers thickened. As if in an afterthought, bright red chakra began to leak from Naruto's trembling form, surrounding him in a glowing red shroud, a tail waving gently.

"**Don't. Touch him. Again.**" Naruto spoke in a guttural, animalistic growl unlike his normal voice. He glared up at Umbridge to show red slit-pupil eyes. Before she could react, she found herself pinned up against the wall with a clawed hand around her flabby neck.

"**You dare to come here through blackmail and leverage, to twist words against their owners and attempt to take what's not yours. And then you dare to **_**injure**_** one of my friends! I'm not sure why I haven't taken my tenant's advice and **_**ripped you to shreds with my bare hands**_**. He's been after me for the entire year to do something of sort.**"

"Get your filthy paws off me, you demon!"

"**You're not in a position to make demands, **_**ningen.**_"

Naruto leaned closer to her, holding up his free hand, while the one pinning her to the wall tightened his grasp. He contemplated the clawed fingertips for a moment before placing it over her right temple, digging in a little before raising his hand in preparation to strike, a second chakra tail forming as his mouth became rimmed in black, as his canines started growing past his lower lip and the whisker marks deepened even further. Umbridge closed her eyes, flinching away and waiting for the pain.

When the pain she expected didn't come after several seconds Umbridge cracked a cautious eyelid open to see Sasuke holding back Naruto's hand. Naruto was looking at his friend with a mixture of surprise and anger. He attempted to tug his hand away but Sasuke held on, digging in his heels.

"**Let go Sasuke.**"

"No way, dobe. Not until you've calmed down and explained a few things!"

Naruto's crimson eyes narrowed dangerously, and he turned away from Umbridge (who was paralyzed by fear) trying again to wrench his hand free this time succeeding. He heard Sasuke's muttered cursing but paid little attention. He flexed his hand and smiled evilly as he turned back to Umbridge, his claws descending towards Umbridge's pale, fleshy face, eyes closing lazily in sadistic pleasure.

A few moments later the sound of claw tearing flesh as well as a low grunt of pain was heard. Naruto's eyes flashed open and widened in horror, quickly reverting back to their normal cerulean color when he saw Sasuke standing in front of collapsed Umbridge, shirt torn and bleeding from five diagonal slash marks across his right shoulder and along his chest.

The red chakra surrounding Naruto's body disappeared and the blonde haired boy, back away, terror written across his face. Sasuke coughed a little, wincing at the pain. The last Uchiha staggered a step towards Naruto, watching Naruto recoil away, as if he'd been burned.

"D-dobe…"

"Stay away from me! I'm not safe!" Naruto's high pitched voice grated against Sasuke's nerves. The black haired genin took another step towards his comrade. Naruto put up his hands in futile gesture, trying to keep Sasuke away.

"Do-Naruto, it's alr-" Before Sasuke could finish the sentence, Naruto had dashed over to the window and flung it open; quickly slipping over the edge. Sasuke ran as fast as his injured chest allowed, watching his friend run, eventually disappearing into the edge of the Forbidden Forest and the stormy night.


	3. Chapter 3

"Do-Naruto, it's alr-" Before Sasuke could finish the sentence, Naruto had dashed over to the window and flung it open; quickly slipping over the edge. Sasuke ran as fast as his injured chest allowed, watching his friend run, eventually disappearing into the edge of the Forbidden Forest and the stormy night.

Sasuke stood there in shock until two things occurred at once: Umbridge stirred and the rest of the Konoha genin barged into the office, weapons in hand.

Umbridge took one look at them and promptly fainted once more. Sasuke turned to face the rest of his fellow genin. Sakura gasped in horror as she caught sight of Sasuke's bloodied shirt and chest. Before she could rush over Sasuke walked over to the group and picked up a sheet of paper from Naruto's file. Scanning it he flinched before letting it fall once more. Kiba finally worked up enough courage to ask a simple question.

"What the hell happened?!"

Sasuke shook his head, a hand going to his chest before replying. "Somehow Umbridge got the dobe's file, apparently as blackmail material. We were in the process in stealing it back when we got caught. She had me at wand point and mentioned telling me about Naruto. He said something about it not being her secret to tell. Next thing I know he's in front of her. She hit me with a shocking hex of some sort."

Before he could go on, Sakura stopped him with a raised hand. One of the others got him a chair and she all but shoved him down onto it, cutting away the remains of his ruined shirt. She examined the deep slashes before pulling out bandages from her kunai pouch, motioning for him to continue as she started wrapping the clean white cloth around the wounds on Sasuke's chest and shoulder.

"Something inside of the idiot snapped. He transformed into…something. But he had Umbridge up against the wall, talking about talking his tenent's advice, whatever that meant and ripping her to shreds. He was about hit her, when I stopped him. He got free and tried again. Only this time I got in the way."

Almost everyone in the room gasped, minds reeling. Sakura paused in the act of wrapping the final section of bandage.

"You mean _Naruto _did this to you?" She asked a whisper, gesturing at the section of Sasuke's chest she was bandaging. Sasuke nodded grimly.

"He changed back as soon as he realized what he'd done. Told me to stay away from him, and when I tried to get closer to him, he zipped out the window. When you guys got here, he was just into the Forbidden Forest."

Everyone stayed silent for a moment before Hinata spoke up in her stuttering voice. "W-w-we need to f-f-f-find him. S-shino's bugs and Akam-m-maru sensed s-something. Th-they got us a-a-and we came here."

The rest nodded grimly. Sakura stepped back and looked over the room with a critical eye. She turned back to Sasuke.

"What do we do?"

"All of you will do nothing."

Everyone whirled around to find Jiraiya leaning against; the door with a serious expression on his face. He entered the room, kneeling to look at the limp form of Umbridge. He heaved her into a sitting position, before neatly tying her up. He turned back and sighed when he caught the outraged looks on nearly everyone's faces.

"It's too dangerous a situation for everyone be involved. I'll need Hinata and Shino for tracking Naruto and Sasuke since he's already involved. But the rest of you should get back to a common room- I don't care which, just pick one and wait for me."

Tenten, Sakura, Kiba, and Ino looked mutinous but nodded reluctantly trooping away. Jiraiya waited until they were well out of earshot before turning to the remaining genin.

"I need you to trust me on this. Shino, start sending out your bugs looking for Naruto. His chakra's probably spiking like crazy. Hinata, looking for him with your Byakugan, if he within your range he'll be lit up like an explosive tag of chakra. Send up a green flare of sparks with your wands when you find him."

The two nodded before leaving, heading out into the wet and dark night to begin their tasks. Once they were gone, Sasuke finally spoke up.

"So. What do I get to do?"

"You get to explain what happened in more detail to me while keeping an eye on that manipulative bitch over there."

"And you get to explain this...jinchuuriki business to me?"

Jiraiya twitched before shaking his head. "I'll leave that to Naruto." Sasuke huffed before turning to look at Umbridge. He frowned; this was really all her fault.

"What'll happen to her?" He asked, wondering why she had gone after Naruto's file. Jiraiya shrugged, dragging a second char over in front of Sasuke's.

"That depends if we can get her back to Konoha or not, since she's a Ministry Official."

"Hn."

"So, what exactly happened?"

Sasuke sighed and closed his eyes, thinking back to the chaotic events of the last hour. He absently rubbed the bandages along his shoulder before beginning. Jiraiya pulled out a pen and small notebook.

"Naruto came down to the Slytherin common room earlier this evening, after the OWLs were done. He looked really scared about something. He pulled me aside and told me somehow Umbridge had gotten his file from Konoha. We went back up to my room and started to plan…"

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"…Naruto went to strike her a second time, but I managed to get in front of her. He had had his eyes closed, but when he opened them and saw they almost immediately went back to blue. The slashes weren't that bad, but he acted like he almost ripped out my throat. He lost the red chakra shroud and when I tried to talk to him, he told me to stay away and escaped out the window."

"Hmm. And everyone else arrived a few minutes later?"

"Yes."

Jiraiya nodded and chewed his pen thoughtfully, before tucking the notebook and pen away. He stood and Sasuke followed suit, walking over to the window. Sasuke glanced over Umbridge's still-unconscious form.

"What did you do to her to keep her unconscious this long?"

"A simple sleeping genjutsu. She won't be waking up until I let her."

Sasuke was about ask more when a flash of green sparks erupted from over the forest. He and Jiraiya glanced at each other both and leapt out of the window, running down the rain swept tower using chakra. They were about halfway down when both felt a spike of ominous chakra. Jiraiya swore vehemently, while Sasuke skidded to a halt.

"Sasuke! Go find the others; we might need their help now. Dammit, I've kept telling him to control his emotions…"

Jiraiya continued running towards the forest while Sasuke backtracked, checking all of the common rooms as quickly as possibly, using the speed he gained from the Chuunin Exams. He finally found his teammates in the Gryffindor common room. He urgently rapped on the window. Tenten spotted him and quickly let him inside, Sakura running off to grab a towel. Sasuke walked over to the small circle of chairs that the group had set up, trying his best not to shiver. Sakura came back and he accepted the towel she held, wiping off his face.

"Jiraiya sent me to get you guys. Hinata and Shino found Naruto but…"

"We all felt that strange chakra. Akamaru nearly fainted from the sheer strength." Kiba replied with a grimace, standing up. The others nodded, following suit. Sasuke led them back outside. Kiba and Akamaru took point, searching for their teammates.

Soon they struck a trail and began following it. A few minutes later they stumbled upon a clearing that showed signs of a fight and picked up the pace. Following the trail the genin soon found the others in a large clearing- along with a feral, dangerous looking Naruto.


	4. Chapter 4

_He saw me, he saw me, he saw me! Kuso, what am I going to do?!_

**Kukukuku, you could release me completely instead of letting out dribbles of my power…**

_NO WAY! _

Naruto sped away, as fast as he could to get away from the look of shock and slight betrayal on Sasuke's face when Naruto had clawed him. He was in among the trees of the Forbidden Forest in a few minutes, tears blinding him as he remembered the sick pleasure he took in Umbridge's fear, the feeling of _his _clawed fingers shredding through flesh as if it were butter…Naruto shuddered.

**You know you liked it…you saw how easy it was. If the boy hadn't gotten in the way that woman would be nothing more than a corpse on the-**

_Urusai! I'm not like you! _

Naruto kept running, trying to shut the fox's sinister laughter out of his mind. When he finally slowed down to take stock of his situation he found himself in unfamiliar territory. Raising a soaked sleeve, he wiped his face clear of tears and rain, peering around in the darkness. He thought he saw light up ahead and stumbled towards it.

Naruto found himself in a large, circle-shaped clearing. He peered around cautiously through the downpour. Seemingly alone, the blonde jinchuuriki relaxed for a moment only to jump and whirl around, a kunai in hand when he heard a twig snap. Nervously he backed further into the clearing, trying to see into the shadows. His eyes widened as several man-horse creatures stepped into the clearing. Centaurs, he remembered while nervously eyeing their bows and arrows. The smallest towered over him at least 6'5. He backed up continually as they entered, hooves muffled by the moddy floor of the forest.

"What are you doing in our forest, human?" Naruto jerked his head to see a large black centaur come to the fore of the group.

"H-had t-to get away."

The centaur frowned. "From what?" He asked in a harsh voice, stamping a forefoot restlessly.

"U-u-umbridge."

The centaurs all hissed and growled, some rearing a little on their powerful hind legs. After a few moments they calmed back down. Suddenly a new centaur came pounding up to the black centaur and whispered something in his ear. The black one frowned and turned back to Naruto, who was wondering what, was going on.

"My companion informs me of two shinobi who are looking for you. Can we guide you back?"

"NO!" Naruto's answer was a harsh bark, as he took another step backwards, nearly slipping in a patch of slick wet grass. His nervousness came back full force as the centaurs circled around him. The black one approached him, frowning heavily.

"Humans belong with other humans. The forest is dangerous for your kind."

"I can't, I'm not safe!"

"Why? You're not a monster."

Naruto froze. The centaurs went quiet, as Naruto's hand crept to his stomach on clutched at the seal on his navel. Naruto's head snapped up and he leapt to one side. An arrow thudded into the ground. He looked around wildly, spotting a centaur with an upraised bow.

"You're not a monster, are you?" Asked the black centaur, hand going to his bow. Naruto made motion of his, something between a nod and a shake.

"I….I don't know anymore." He whispered.

Several more arrows thudded into the ground near him. Naruto looked at them with widened eyes. He glanced around, fear icing over his stomach as he saw many more bows being readied, arrows nocked and aimed in his direction. Naruto's hand clenched around his nearly-forgotten kunai.

"Why do you not answer? Unless it's true…"

"Monster!"

Naruto flinched as if someone had struck him. Unseen to the centaurs, Naruto's eyes started turning a deep crimson shade. They _did _notice the sharp claws emerging from his fingernails, as well as the familiar red chakra shroud that engulfed the emotionally charged genin.

"I'm not…I'm not…**I'm not a monster!**" Naruto howled, his voice changing to low rasping growl. The centaurs murmured among themselves, amazed by the sudden change in the blonde. A few shot their arrows, this time actually aiming for the boy.

Naruto merely snarled at the group, batting the arrows with quick swats of his kunai, the blade flashing in the rain. Eyes darting, he looked about for an opening to escape. Spotting no such opening, the Kyuubi container decided to make his own.

Quickly shifting his stance from two-legs to all-fours, the blonde growled before making a beeline to the edge of the circle, raking at the powerful legs before him with claws. The owners of said legs reared up, hooves flailing wildly.

Naruto skidded briefly to a halt, eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out how to overcome this new danger of flying hooves. Moments later he dodged rapidly, claws digging slimy troughs into the earth as he dug in for traction. He wove rapidly, feeling hands reaching to grab him, arrows whistling near his body and hooves pounding the ground around him into a churned mush. It seemed to last a long time, but in reality it was only a few moments.

While the centaurs got themselves reorganized, trying to figure out how to fight the Kyuubi-fied Naruto, Naruto took stock of his condition. Several arrows had grazed him, but Kyuubi's chakra was quickly patching those up. He miraculously had avoided any contact with the battering hooves. Self-check complete, the genin returned to watching his hoofed enemies.

_Dammit, I can't read their body movement…_

**Neither can I…Go ahead and slaughter them all.**

_Shut up furball, you're the reason I'm in this mess! If it weren't for you-_

**You would've died in the Land of Waves.**

Naruto snarled both mentally and vocally. The centaurs finally assembled themselves in a line, bows at the ready. Naruto quirked an eyebrow, drawing another kunai from his pouch, readying his own defense. The centaurs aimed carefully, before releasing the coiled power stored in the strings of their powerful curved bows.

Naruto blocked what arrows he could and dodged the rest. He took the opportunity to launch a volley of kunai at his opponents while they paused to reload their bows. Most of them found their targets, causing the centaurs hit to roar angrily in pain. The genin grinned, and launched another volley, this time of shuriken.

Unfortunately this time most of the centaurs spotting the airborne threat and leapt out of the way. Some shot more arrows, while a few among the more daring, tried to ease in closer, subtly trying to trap the agitated jinchuuriki.

Naruto let out a low growl that rolled about in his chest before rumbling up and out of his throat, emerging from between bared fangs. He charged at the small group trying to trap him, slashing at their legs, scoring a few hits before having to retreat from their dangerous hooves. He grinned evilly, letting out a triumphant howl.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hinata's head jerked up as her Byakugan enhanced eyes caught sight of a large chakra flare, to the east and nearly out of her range. She threw a quick glance at Shino and caught the glance he gave her.

"My bugs tell me of a chakra explosion to the east. Can you see it?"

"H-hai. It's very clear. S-s-should we check it out?"

Shino nodded and changed direction, rain streaming from his heavy coat. Hinata followed her teammate both using chakra to keep from slipping off the rain-slicked foliage. They traveled in silence for the most part except for the occasional murmur of Hinata telling Shino when to change direction.

They had nearly arrived when they both heard a triumphant howl- for what they didn't know but both genins shuddered slightly before continuing. That howl was an inhuman celebration over some unknown event…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Naruto's eyes narrowed, trying to sluice away the rain impeding his vision as he considered his next move. The centaurs were grouped together, bows at the ready so he couldn't rush them…and they knew about his kunai and shuriken.

_Damn. I could always use a jutsu but the results would pinpoint my location easily._

**Looks like you're in a bad spot, ningen. Sure you don't want me to take over and slaughter them all?**

_YES. _

**One of these days…**

His internal dialogue was rudely interrupted by the sound of bowstrings releasing. He looked up, to see arrows streaking through the air. His crimson eyes widened and he turned to get away, hands scrabbling to find some sort of traction in the slick mud. His fingers finally struck dirt and he started to move.

But it wasn't fast enough- Naruto let out a mixture of a roar of anger and a yelp of pain as he felt the arrows connect with his unprotected back. His arms gave out from the pain and Naruto thudded to the rain soaked ground, with a grunt.

The centaurs watched warily, wondering if the feral-looking boy would get back up. When he stayed down, panting in pain they relaxed a little. One centaur cautiously walked forward, hooves squelching in the mud. He seemed wary of the red chakra aura that was fluctuating around the injured human. He leaned forward, about to nudge the boy with a forefoot when the entire group heard a strange sound.

They all looked around, spotting the two humans standing in a nearby tree. One, a girl had pale wide eyes glanced about the clearing, as if looking for something. The two groups studied each other. The girl's companion was the first to speak.

"We're looking for our companion. Have you seen him in the area?" His voice was deep and calm, eyes hidden by sunglasses studying the group on non-humans before him.

The centaurs twitched, from the way the two acted, they knew their companion, likely the feral boy who was (they realized) was hidden by their bulky bodies. The black centaur nodded shortly before replying.

"Aye, we have. He's right here. Orion, is he still conscious?"

The young centaur twitched and quickly nudged the youth at his feet with a hoof. He heard a soft snarl and nodded. He absently noted that the chakra aura around the youth a diminishing to a much closer outline, though the "tail" was the same as ever.

"He's still conscious Bane, sir. Though still…angry." Orion answered dutifully, backing away form the limp form on the ground before him. The rest of the herd followed his example, letting the two in the tree see their companion.

"Naruto-kun!" The girl let out a soft scream, spotting the few arrows that were sticking out of Naruto's torso. The pair jumped down, Hinata waited nervously while Shino quietly dealt with the centaurs. He walked up to Bane silently before looking up at the large black centaur.

"What has happened here that caused you to attack our companion?"

"He attacked us first. We sought only to neutralize the threat he presented"

"Hmm. I think we'll take it from here."

"Right. Tell him that no monster is welcome here."

Shino quirked an eyebrow but simply nodded. The centaurs left, melting back into the forest and disappearing in the rain. Hinata either took that as a signal to dash over to her crush's side or she couldn't wait any longer. She skidded to a halt, splattering mud everywhere, kneeling down next to her crush.

"Naruto-kun…" She half whimpered, half whispered. The object of her affections twitched. Shino frowned as his bugs informed him of a beginning flare of dangerous chakra.

"Hinata, there's a dange-" He had only gotten out half of his warning when a sudden explosion of orange fiery chakra erupted from Naruto's suddenly not-so-still form. The blonde leapt to his feet, eyes flashing a hot, bloody crimson red. Shino darted forward and snatched at Hinata's collar while she stared dumbfounded at her changed crush.

Naruto had leapt into the branches of a nearby tree and he crouched on all fours, his eyes narrowed and elongated canines bared in an animalistic snarl. Shino tentatively sent a few of his bugs to analyze the chakra shroud that surrounded his fellow genin. He was half shocked when the bugs got near that the chakra's powerful killing intent either killed them or made them flee back in terror.

The bug user was pondering what course of action to take when the rest of the genin along with Jiraiya arrived. He heard Jiraiya swear softly and the rest of genin gasp at the sight of their changed friend.

"Shino. Hinata. Get back here, now." Jiraiya ordered. Shino nodded, Hinata having recovered enough to stumble back with him. Once the pair was safe, Jiraiya stepped forward.

"Naruto," He spoke in a stern voice, "stop it. Get your emotions back under control and stop drawing on _his_ chakra."

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, when he paused, a clawed hand drifting to his head. His mouth closed and he swayed slightly. He muttered something to himself, unintelligible to everyone else. Unheard by anyone else in the clearing a fierce battle was raged in Naruto's head.

**Don't listen to them, they only want to trick you. Then they'll kill you…**

_Shut up you bastard fox!_

**You know I'm right. By now the Uchiha read your file and knows…and he told everyone else. **

_No! Sasuke wouldn't do that! He's my-_

**What, your friend? Pfft, don't make me laugh. He's a power-obsessed psycho avenger. He'd do anything for power…he probably want yours, or rather mine.**

_He's not like that! He understands what it's like to have a bad history…_

**Oh yes, he's extremely sympathetic. He showed that back in the bitch's office.**

_Just…just shut up!_

"**Now, go away and take your dam**ned chakra with you!"

Naruto shouted that last part for everyone to hear. His voice changed halfway through the sentence, from a deep raspy growl to his normal high-pitched tone. His eyes faded back to blue and his teeth shrank, along with his fingernails. The whisker-like birthmarks diminished back into six thin lines and finally the chakra shroud faded away, the tail disappearing last.

Cautiously, everyone came forward to stand by Jiraiya. Naruto blinked at them wearily, before toppling over, off the tree branch. Everyone started forward, but only two people made it to the base of the tree. Sasuke grunted with a mixture of pain and effort as Naruto landed in his arms. Jiraiya took the blonde from Sasuke and they walked back to the main group. Jiraiya just kept walking and slowly the group left the forest, heading back to the castle.

**A/N: weeps at the horrible-ness of the last chapter I'm sorry minna-san! But my wonderful beta's internet has been on the fritz for the last couple of weeks or so…as soon as they're back online I will beg them to help me improve this. **

**coughs Anyway, I think there's one more chapter left, maybe two if Naruto's feeling really guilty but meh. **


	5. Chapter 5

"Ngh…" Naruto stirred slightly. This caused a flurry of activity around the boy's bed. He heard voices, both familiar and unfamiliar.

"He's awake, go get Jiraiya-sama."

"Yes Headmaster. I'll be right ba-GET BACK IN BED MR. UCHIHA."

"_Dobe. Open your eyes already. _"

"_Shut up, teme._" Naruto replied weakly and cracked his eyes open.

Turning his head to the right he spotted Sasuke sitting up in a bed next to his. The black-haired boy was clad in a light shirt, bandages forming a visible lump under the thin fabric. At the sight of that Naruto's grin faded and he looked back at the ceiling. Spotting movement out of the corner of his eye, his jaw dropped when he saw all seven of his comrades draped about his and Sasuke's beds, asleep. That and the large stack of gifts piled on the end of his bed…Seeing a flash of white he finally noticed Dumbledore sitting in a nearby chair smiling benevolently. His face paled and he fought the impulse to run.

"D-Dumbledore-san."

"Naruto-kun." The old man answered calmly. Naruto shifted his weight, pulling himself up into a sitting position.

"What're you doing here?"

"The Ministry might object to having their employee…"

"Attacked? Assualted? Nearly _savaged_?" Naruto spoke bitterly, glaring at his hands that were spread on the blanket covering him.

"Er, assaulted would work. But the point being, you attacked Professor Umbridge. Care to tell me why?"

Naruto shook his head, glancing back at Sasuke who had his back turned on the room and its occupants. _I'll have to tell the rest of us- they saw me…_ He was distracted by his melancholy thoughts by someone entering the hospital ward. The door banged shut, the sound waking the sleeping shinobi. They stretched, rubbing their eyes wearily before spotting a subdued Naruto.

Jiraiya, who was walking in with Madame Pompfrey narrowed his eyes slightly at the scene before him. Naruto was staring at the blanket covering him, the genin were sitting around his and Sasuke's bed- even if Sasuke's back was the only thing visible. He sighed before calling out.

"Oi gaki! How're you feeling?" He called out raising a hand in greeting. Everyone jumped a little, with the exception of Dumbledore and Sasuke. Jiraiya sweatdropped before focusing on Naruto.

"I feel…okay, I guess. Nothing a night's rest didn't take care off." Naruto grimaced, a hand inching towards his stomach. Madame Pompfrey snorted with some scorn.

"As if a mere night's rest could cure the fact that I had to dig out no less than _four arrowheads_ from your back! You won't be getting out of here for at least a week!"

Naruto mumbled something under his breath that sound like "As if that damn fox would let me die…" while Jiraiya placed a slightly restraining hand on the medical witch's shoulder and sent a significant look at Dumbledore who nodded slightly, before standing.

"Poppy could you give us some privacy?"

"Yes Headmaster." Madame Pompfrey sent both of her patient's critical looks before sweeping past the assembled group to close her office door. Dumbledore stood up, brushing his robes before bowing slightly in Naruto's and Sasuke's direction.

"Well then I take my leave. I trust, Jiraiya-san you'll join me shortly? The Ministry will, no doubt, want a full report."

Jiraiya grimaced but nodded. Dumbledore left, robes swishing quietly. As the door banged softly shut everyone turned their attention back to Naruto. He shifted uncomfortably under all the attention. Even Sasuke had finally deigned to recognize the blonde's (along with the rest of the worlds) presence. Finally, the jinchuuriki snapped.

"What?!" He asked in a slightly defensive tone, looking at them all. Everyone stayed quiet, trying to think of a tactful way to ask the questions that were begging to be asked. Jiraiya watched as Naruto grew more nervous, working himself up. His eyes narrowed as he caught a hint of Kyuubi's chakra.

"Naruto!" he barked, "you're starting to leak, get a hold of your emotions."

Naruto look afraid and frowned in concentration, trying to relax. Jiraiya nodded in approval as the wisps of Kyuubi's chakra vanished. Jiraiya walked to Naruto's bedside and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good job. Now, I have to go deal with Dumbledore-san and unfortunately he needs to know, well…everything. Can I tell him?"

Naruto looked surprised that Jiraiya was asking him for permission but gave a slow nod of his head. "I think he's trustworthy." He muttered, hand drifting once more to his stomach. Jiraiya nodded solemnly and headed towards the door. Before he left the room however he sent the blonde a meaningful glare and mouthed "Tell them." With that he left the room.

Before yet another awkward silence could descend upon the room, and before he could lose his nerve, Naruto asked quietly, "I guess you guys want an explanation for last night?"

Everyone nodded and Naruto closed his eyes and let out a sigh, sinking a bit into the pillows supporting him. Everyone waited, with an expectant air about them. Finally Naruto opened his eyes and his mouth.

"Where to start…There's so much to explain."

"The beginning's a good place to generally start, dobe." Sasuke commented sardonically. Naruto glared at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the group in general.

"Ask a question. Any question, that'll help me explain."

Everyone stayed quiet for a moment for before Sasuke spoke up, his face serious. "Let's start with the term jinchuuriki." Naruto nodded, wincing a little mentally before replying.

"Jinchuuriki…" He spoke the word so that everyone could feel his disgust practically dripping off his tongue. "Jinchuuriki. Power of a human sacrifice. Anyone stuck with that term is usually doomed to a life of loneliness and hatred. Anyone stuck with that term is someone unfortunate to have a bijuu sealed inside their bodies at birth."

"What's a bijuu?" Asked Sakura, face expressing her curiosity.

"A tailed demon. They're beings of great power, rumored to be made out of chakra. There are only nine, named for the number of the tails they own. Ichibi's the weakest with only one tail; Kyuubi is the strongest with his nine tails." Naruto explained.

The genin sat in shocked silence for a moment before Naruto continued. "You already know one jinchuuriki- Gaara; he's got Shukaku, the one tailed tanuki sealed inside him. You all saw his power- and Shukaku's the weakest of the nine. Me? " He laughed somewhat bitterly before continuing. "I'm at the other end of the spectrum…Lucky me; I've the great and terrible Kyuubi no Kitsune stuck inside me."

He stopped, watching everyone's reactions. Kiba's jaw dropped, Shino's expression remained hidden beneath the collar of his coat. Ten-Ten's mouth was slightly open while Sakura and Hinata eyes had widened, Hinata with- were those tears in her eyes? Sasuke, Naruto absently noted didn't look that surprised.

Surprisingly, Kiba was the first to speak again. "So…we've been lied to about happened when the Yondaime defeated the Kyuubi?"

"Yeah. Everyone in our generation was told that the Kyuubi was killed when he was actually sealed in me. The old man made it an S-class secret; it was an attempt to give me a…normal childhood." Naruto gave a hollow laugh, shoulders shaking. Everyone was a little surprised to tears trailing down the blonde's face. "Did you know, the Fourth wanted me to be seen as, as a hero? But, the villagers…well, they kind of tried to kill me, and more than once."

Everyone gasped at that. Naruto suddenly found himself being hugged by Hinata and Sakura. Slowly everyone else joined in until Naruto was surrounded by his friends- except for Sasuke and Shino. Naruto's gaze found Sasuke's and after a few moments, the Uchiha rolled his eyes but clambered out of his bed and joined in the hug. Shino just stood back until Kiba freed an arm and yanked the reserved genin into the hug. Shino merely grunted in surprise.

Eventually the hug was broken up, though everyone stayed close to Naruto's bed. He had stopped crying and was looking much calmer. The others were asking questions about Kyuubi and the like.

"So what exactly does having the Kyuubi sealed in you affect?" That one was posed by Sakura.

"Well…enhanced healing- most injuries will heal after a night's rest. Nearly unlimited chakra and stamina…When _I _run out I can call on the damn fox's chakra. Though if I use too much...well, you saw what happens. Ero-sennin says the fox's personality starts supplanting my own."

"Huh. That explains most of your unexplainable quirks. What about the whisker marks?" Sasuke this time, with a smirk. Naruto glared before responding.

"Kyuubi calls 'em possession marks- they're like the rings around Gaara's eyes; they show that I have a bijuu sealed inside me."

"He talks to you? Kyuubi, I mean." Ten-Ten spoke up for once, having stayed mostly quietly.

"All the time, mostly about how I should destroy or kill everything, or let him loose to have, as he puts it, some fun. I've learned to ignore him, so it's not too bad. On occasion the baka-kitsune has actually been useful." Naruto rolled his eyes, grinning as Kyuubi let loose with a torrent of mental abuse from his cage. "He's cussing me out right now, actually."

Everyone chuckled at that, while Naruto told the fox to shut up. They continued talking until Madam Pompfrey kicked everyone out.

After she had left and turned out the lights Naruto hopped out of bed and hunted for his clothing along with Sasuke's. He eventually found them, in Madame Pompfrey's office, casually chucking Sasuke's clothing into their owner's face. Both boys climbed out of their flimsy hospital gowns, climbing into their own clothes with sighs of relief. Naruto paused long enough to scratch off the bandages that dotted his body. Sasuke raised an eyebrow as the boy casually tossed the shredded cloth in a corner.

"What? It's not like I need the damn things any more." Naruto said, looking faintly surprised. "I already told you guys, the baka-kitsune heals me. Look, not even a scratch." He lifted his shirt to reveal smooth skin, with only faint scars to show where the centaurs' arrows had pierced his flesh. Sasuke shrugged and the pair left the hospital wing, parting ways to return to their respective common rooms.

Dumbledore steepled his fingers and gazed levelly at Jiraiya. The perverted hermit gazed back at him, having finished his explanation a few minutes ago.

"So, Mr. Uzumaki is the container for the most powerful demon in your land…interesting."

"Yes. The seal is strong, Minato made sure of that- but if Naruto chooses to access too much of the fox's chakra, everything will be in danger." Jiraiya's eyes darkened at the thought, but he shook his long white mane. Dumbledore hmmed a response as he got up and stared out his window.

"From you've told me, he only accesses the chakra in emotionally charged situations, and those are usually life-threatening ones at that. Hardly something I think we'll encounter here at Hogwarts."

Jiraiya coughed uneasily and waited until Dumbledore had turned to face him before speaking. "From what I saw last night, as well as today in the hospital wing, the seal has grown to be even more sensitive to Naruto's emotional state. I'm almost tempted to place another seal on him to block the fox's chakra if it didn't mean his already horrible chakra control would go to hell."

"How do you suggest we handle that then?"

Jiraiya shrugged helplessly. "It depends on how the other genin took the news. If they rejected him, as he's expecting…I'll have to tell Tsunade to pull him back to Konoha. But, if they accept him and his burden, they should be enough to keep him from going into a tailed state."

Dumbledore nodded and Jiraiya stood up, chuckling. "Well if that's all...I'd best tell Pompfrey-san not to worry when she finds her patients missing." Dumbledore cocked an eyebrow and Jiraiya hastily explained. "Both boys are notorious, Naruto especially, for their hatred of hospitals. As soon as they can, they escape."

Dumbledore laughed as he escorted Jiraiya out of his office. "I'd best accompany you then."

The pair walked down to the hospital to find Madame Pompfrey in a controlled fury as she straightened up the noticeably empty hospital ward. Jiraiya threw Dumbledore an "I told you so" glance before excusing himself to go check on the genins. Dumbledore sighed before carefully approaching the irate nurse.

Jiraiya ducked into the portal and kept his head lowered as he walked down the small tunnel. Raising his head he let out a small smile of relief as he spotted Naruto surrounded be all of his comrades in front of the large fire. Naruto spotted him and waved, calling out.

"Ne, Ero-sennin!" Jiraiya twitched as he weaved between the students in between him and the fire.

"Brat, I thought I told you not to call me that!" He growled, staring down at the boy sprawled lazily in front of the flickering flames. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, looking at the white-haired man.

"_Perverted Hermit_?" He said. "_Do I even want to know_?" Naruto laughed, smirking. "It _all started when I saw him pee-_" Jiraiya quickly clapped a hand over Naruto's mouth, glaring at the blonde.

"_If you want to ever learn a super-cool jutsu from me again you will stop right there. Got it?" _

Naruto sat upright, looking horrified at the prospect of never learning a jutsu again and promptly shut his mouth, ignoring the confused looks his comrades shot his way. He shoved Jiraiya's hand away.

"Got it." He said, scowling a little at his fun being ruined. Jiraiya smiled before cocking his head towards a darkened corner. "_Talk to you for a second?_" He muttered. Naruto pouted for a second before standing up and starting to follow the Sannin over.

"Naruto, where you going?" He heard Sakura ask. He just turned his head and smiled back at his friends. "Ero-sennin wants to talk me for a second, don't worry!"

Jiraiya watched the blonde grin and nod, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He was distracted from his thoughts as Naruto looked at him curiously.

"_What do you want Ero-sennin_?" He asked, cocking his head to one side.

"_I take it they're fine with your ah, furry tenant?_"

"_Yeah, they took it pretty well. Why you ask_?" Both males sounded serious, something unnatural for the pair. Jiraiya shrugged.

"_I just wanted to make sure. So you'll be alright for the rest of the mission_?"

Naruto smiled slowly, looking back at his friends, clasping his hands behind his head. "Yeah, I'll be alright….I'll be just fine."

* * *

**Author's Note/Edit (December 18th): Whoops, I realized that I'd forgotten to add an ending author's note and place the story status on "complete"...I've done that now so all those people who kept adding me to their story alerts won't eventually PM me demanding a new chapter- because there won't be on, this little mini-fic is complete. **

**Woot, my first story on ffnet is complete and some people acutally liked it (gasp) Thanks to anyone who reviewed (haha), added me to their Story or Author Alerts, or even on their Favorite lists. Thanks to my wonderful beta Inuluvr for helping me smooth over the rough patches and keeping me from giving into my inner Ritsu **

**Inner Ritsu: YOU FAAAAAAAAAAAAAIL THEY HAT-gets shoved in a box**


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